Pro-pot Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate pushing for medical and recreational legalization

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John Hanger.

A Pennsylvania democrat with a pro-pot platform has his eye on the governor’s office in 2014.
John Hanger says he has a three-step process for marijuana in the state, starting with allowing doctors to legally recommend medical marijuana for qualifying patients and ending with the legalization, taxation and regulation of cannabis for all adults over 21.


At one point in the not-so-distant past, Hanger would have never made it far supporting cannabis reform. But times are rapidly changing and not only is Hanger being taken seriously, he’s been backed by a growing number of supporters including the Lebanon Daily News, which all but endorses the candidate in an editorial Wednesday.
“We’re not being irrational; neither is Hanger,” the editorial states. “Marijuana has side effects similar to alcohol use, so it can’t be used while driving or operating machinery; it can’t fall into the hands of minors; potential hazards of use can easily be incorporated into existing drug-and-alcohol education routinely delivered in public schools.
According to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy, the state arrests nearly 25,000 people per-year at a cost of about $325 million annually. So, since 2008 the state has spent well over $1 billion on marijuana arrests alone.
The paper says that they fully support Hanger’s position, but stop short of endorsing the candidate outright.
“We’re not advocating for a nation of stoners – the snack-food industry probably couldn’t handle the strain,” the editorial states. “But we do advocation for rational policies that eliminate victimless crimes, cut government spending, earn government tax dollars, help those suffering from medical conditions and, in the end, just make sense.”

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